Frank j



(No Model.)'

P. J. BERNARD. MUSIC BOX DAMPER.

No. 570,898. Patented Nov. 10, 1896.

Q uxw a view of Fig. 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK J. BERNARD, OF VEST NE\V YORK, NE\V JERSEY.

MUSIC-BOX DAM PER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 570,898, dated November 10, 1896.

Application filed March 6,1896. Serial No. 582,158. No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK J. BERNARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of est New York, county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Music-Box Dampers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a grooved star-wheel for a music-box to antomatically work the dampers.

The invention consists in an irregular groove in the face or side of a star-wheel for a music-box, and a damper so constructed as to be operated by the said groove.

Figure 1 is a face or side view of a musicbox star wheel. Fig. 2 is an edge sectional Fig. 3 is a top view of the star-wheeland dampers, showing their position. Fig. 4 is a right-hand damper-blank before bent or shaped. Fig. 5 is a blank of a left-hand damper before bent or shaped. Fig. 6 shows the edge view of the right and left dampers after being shaped or bent. Fig. 7 shows an end view of the reed-plates and the action of the dampers operated by the grooved star-wheel, and Fig. 8 shows the action of the damper-fingers upon the reeds.

A in the several figures represents a starwheel of a music-box for operating the reeds and dampers. It is provided with teeth A and arbor-hole A Near its periphery, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 7, a narrow cam or scalloped groove A is stamped or milled. This groove is formed with extending sections A opposite each tooth-point A, and contracted sections A between the teeth-points, as shown in Fig. 1.

B, Fig. 4, is a metal blank having tensionarins B and damper-fingers B and is provided with arbor-hole 13 by which it is pivoted to the holder C, Fig. 7. The tensionarm B is bent on line 00 03, Fig. t, forming a U-shaped yoke, as shown at 13, Figs. 3 and 6, in which the star-wheel runs.

B and B show the metal to be embossed, forming two points or lugs B and B, Fig. 6, which are exactly opposite each other after the arm B is bent, as shown in Fig. 6. The

lug B travels in the groove A causing the damper B to be moved to the right and left as the star wheel A is turned, while the lug 13 presses lightly upon the opposite side of the star-wheel, causing a slight tension and holding the lug B in the groove A D, Fig. 5, is a metal blank having tensionarm D, damper-fingers D and arbor-hole D. This blank D is bent on line at 00, forming a U, as shown at D", Fig. 6. Two lugs D and D' are formed in the same manner and for the same purpose as described for lugs B and B both dampers B and D being operated by the same groove A and star-wheel A and accomplishing the same result.

G and G, Figs. 7 and S, are comb-plates supported in the usual manner and are provided with reeds G and G having the beveled points G and G against which the damper-fingers B and D are pressed by the action of the extended section of the groove A, preventing the reeds from vibrating until another tooth A of the star-wheel again operates the reed. The action of the contracted section A of the groove releases the damperfingers from the reeds in time for another action of the star-wheel.

The operation is as follows: \Vhen the starwheel A is turned by the tune sheet or cylinder, (not shown,) the dampers are operated against the beveled ends of the reed-fingers G and G by the extending sections A of the groove A preventing the reeds from vibratin g before another tooth of the star-wheel operates them, but not until the contracted section Al acts to release the damper-fingers 3 and D from the reeds. After the groove A has been stamped in the star-wheel the ridge A is ground off even with the surface of the star-wheel.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A music-box having reeds G, with beveled points G and star-wheels A, provided with a cam-groove A having a corresponding number of elevations A and depressions A as there are teeth. on said star-wheel to positively operate a damper without a spring, in combination with a pivoted damper provided with a lug to run in the said cam-groove, as and for the purpose described.

2. A 1nusic-box star-Wheel provided with a cam-groove A having a corresponding number of elevations A, as there are teeth on the said star-wheel, to positively operate a ICO damper, in combination with a pivot-ed dain per, provided with a lug B, and a ['J-yoke, the said U -yoke having a lug B, which presses against the opposite side of the grooYed starwheel and holds the lug- B in the grooYe A as and for the purpose described.

A mnsiedoox star-wheel provided with a cam-groove A having aeorresponding nnml berof elevations A, as there are teeth on said star-Wheel to positively operate the dampers l Rand D against and from the reeds G and G 7 in eoinbin ation With the pivoted dampers ll,

[ E. T. THoMAs, 1 A. LANCELOT. 

